Candy Hearts
by jstarrh
Summary: A one shot that explores Edward and Bella's tradition of using candy hearts on Valentine's Day. AH.


**"For My Valentine"**

**A Twilight Love Story Contest**

**Title: Candy Hearts**

**Rating: M**

**Pairing: Edward/Bella**

**Vampire or Human: Human**

This story begins at the beginning. We met on the first day of kindergarten. I was dressed in a horrid dress with a pink sash, my mother's idea of appropriate first day attire. I tried not to grimace as she took picture after picture of me as I entered the building. That is when I saw him, socks pulled up to his knees and a little blazer covering his button up shirt. His misty eyed mother snapping pictures also. He was instantly my friend, a kindred spirit.

Our mothers hit it off of course. Who wouldn't when your main joy in life is inflicting torture on your children in the form of silly clothing and hair accessories or in his case bowties (I still tease him about that.)

As the years went by we were the closest of friends. The person we would automatically run to if something went wrong. He defended my honor in the sand box in several occasions and I helped him avoid the unwelcome advances of certain bold 3rd graders.

We somehow managed to have class together every year of elementary school and sat next to each other. It was known that his place was next to me and my place was next to him. It was also known that every Valentine's Day my card was to be the first card to be placed in his little decorated brown paper bag that was taped to edge of his desk.

He still has those, every card ranging from Rainbow Brite to Strawberry Shortcake. A small hint of scent still clung to that one, _Be My Valentine_ scrawled across the back with the clumsy writing of a 6 year old.

When we hit Junior High we stopped exchanging Valentine's and started noticing the variety of other people around us. Somehow our little bubble that we had surrounded ourselves with had expanded and we realized that there was more to the world than just the two of us.

While we tried to see what else there was in the world we always ended up back at each other sides. Not needing any more than the other one had to offer. Not that it stopped others didn't tfrom tryingry to get between us, they did but it always just worked out that we would end up together, always together. We didn't want to lose our friendship but we both felt that we were denying ourselves so much more.

I had decided on Valentine's Day that I was going to make my move. Dumping out box after box of candy hearts I finally found the perfect combination and glued them to a piece of red construction paper and stuck it in my backpack. Nervous around him for the first time when I was around him he instantly noticed but didn't give me a hard time.

On our walk home I decided it was now or never and I stopped suddenly dropping my backpack on the ground and digging through it until I found his card.

His green eyes sparkled at me as I handed it to him and then promptly wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans and proceeded to look around, anywhere but at his face.

The hearts were simple lined up on the paper in a row:

_For You_

_I Hope_

_I'm Sure_

_Only You_

_Be True_

_Be Mine_

_Only You_

_You and Me_

_All Mine_

_True Love_

I started walking, not trusting myself to stick around. I was changing things with this simple card. Asking for more and not sure he felt the same. He caught up to me easily his arms wrapping around me. We were affectionate with each other, we always had been but I could tell that this was different.

_Bella_

Barely more than a whisper the word escaped his lips as he pulled me to him tighter than I would have ever felt possible. His lips met mine and we shared our first kiss. Awkward, filled with too much saliva and tongue but perfect all the same. He was mine, all mine.

As time went by the kissing improved but the sense of perfection never changed. He was mine and I was his and nothing would change that.

My card had started a new Valentine's Day tradition, each one of us trying to outdo each other with the corny sentiments contained within the box. Those too are saved, each one special and sacred.

Now Valentine's Day was upon us again, number 15 together, not that I was counting and I sat in my kitchen with conversation hearts scattered across it trying once again to find the perfect sentiments to convey what I felt for this man.

We had grown together, not apart through the years. Without him I wasn't complete. Something was always missing whenever we were apart, even if it was for the few short hours when we had to sleep. Our parents glowed as our love blossomed. We had fulfilled their secret wishes that they had dared to dream when we were young. They joined together to snap their cameras in unison at every major event in our lives from prom to graduation.

When they would think we couldn't notice I could see them looking over our heads and winking at each other imagining another major event that they were waiting to snap pictures at. Edward and I just rolled our eyes at each other. We were in no rush to change things. We were quite young after all.

The years continued to go by. Every major life event that we experienced we experienced together. From our first kiss to our first not so innocent touches on his parents couch while they slept. Every experience we shared brought us closer together.

We went to the same college of course, leaving home to venture to another state. We pretended that we were an old married couple as we lived together and enjoyed the feeling of falling asleep in each other's arms every night. Although we were very satisfied we never had moved beyond our very strict barriers that we had set for ourselves. That we were saving for marriage because we knew without a doubt that one day we would be walking down the aisle together and we wanted to make that night special.

Now Valentine's Day was upon us again, number 15 together, not that I was counting and I sat in our kitchen with conversation hearts scattered across it trying once again to find the perfect sentiments to convey what I felt for this man.

So here we stood, another Valentine's Day together as I sat and tried to properly convey my feelings through conversation hearts. Knowing that there weren't enough words in that little box to express what he meant to me. I did the best I could though and set to work gluing hearts to paper so it could dry before he came home from work.

_Love You_

_My Man_

_My Love_

_My Way_

_All Mine_

_One I Love_

_Only You_

_True Love_

_You & Me_

Corny, perhaps but it was the best I could do at the moment. Our tradition was silly but it was ours. I finished gluing the last heart on and ran to get ready. As I was putting the finishing touches on my outfit I could hear him coming upstairs and so I threw his card into my purse and greeted him with a smile.

He came behind me and kissed my neck and my body trembled at the simple feel of his touch upon me. I turned to kiss him, not caring about my recently applied lipstick, there are some things that are too good to deny yourself. We had definitely improved in this area since the first time. His warm lips met mine, strong yet gentle. I opened my mouth to his and met his tongue with my own. We lost ourselves to the moment, holding on tight to each other as he conquered my mouth. When he pulled away I had to gasp to get my breath back. Even after all this time his kisses made my knees week.

"We had better get going love if we want to make our reservations," I nodded, still unable to form words. "You look amazing by the way," he whispered in my ear as he guided me downstairs and to the car.

We got in the car and headed to dinner. The car ride was quiet, not because we had nothing to say but because we needed to say nothing. We held hands and watched as the buildings went by. Quickly we reached our destination, a little Italian place that we had been going to for years. This had been the first place that Edward had taken me with his own money that he had earned from his first job at a pizza place. He had been so proud as we drove his mother's car to the restaurant that night. It had become yet another special place for us. It was impossible not to find a place that wasn't full of memories in this town. We had returned after college realizing that being too far away from our home wasn't to our liking.

He helped me out of the car and led me into the restaurant. Our booth was waiting for us and on my side sat a single red rose and a folded piece of red construction paper. This was always the highlight of Valentine's Day for me. Granted there were only so many different ways in which you could arrange conversation hearts but it always gave me butterflies to see what he would say each year.

We sat down and I reached into my purse to give him my card too. He always read his card first, it was tradition. I watched his eyes as they moved from heart to heart and a smile lit up his face as he leaned down and kissed me whispering his love for me as our lips met.

"Your turn," he pointed to the card in front of me.

Opening it up I moved my eyes from heart to heart smiling as my own message from all those years ago was repeated:

_For You_

_I Hope_

_I'm Sure_

_Only You_

_Be True_

_Be Mine_

_Only You_

_You and Me_

_All Mine_

_True Love_

But one single heart had been added below the rest, a heart that took my breath away as I read it over and over again.

_Marry Me_

My eyes rose up from the card and found him sitting there holding out a diamond ring to me and all eyes of the restaurant were on us as I repeatedly screamed yes.

That is how we ended up here one year later. Valentine's Day would always be special from here on out. I waited for my father as I sat in the little room in my white dress. A knock on the door announced his arrival and we made our way down the aisle. I only had eyes for Edward. I knew that many people were gathered there to witness this occasion but he was the only one that mattered as he stood there waiting for me. His smile made his entire face glow and I knew that I looked the same way.

The day passed in a blur. I remember our first kiss as man and wife, our first dance, the way the ballroom twinkled with little strings of lights hung up everywhere. Each guest had a box of candy hearts waiting for them. , tThese hearts only held two simple words though…_Edward _or _Bella._

Soon it was time for us to bid our guests farewell. As we rose up in the elevator to our suite we were nervous. I grasped his hand in mine and he smiled down reassuringly. The bell startled me as it rang when we reached our floor. Edward waited for me to walk through before following behind me. We reached the door of our suite and Edward unlocked it and then swept me up into his arms carrying me inside. The room was glowing, candles lit on various surfaces and vases of flowers sprinkled throughout the room.

He led me straight to the bedroom and laid me down gently on the bed. He stood over me, his eyes taking in every inch of my body.

"You are beautiful Isabella Cullen," he leaned over me. He started at my lips, kissing me senseless before he began moving down my body. He savored every inch of exposed skin before moving back to my lips. My breath was coming in gasps, my body aching for more. He pulled me up into his arms and slowly moved the zipper down my back. He pushed the dress down my body and stood back to admire the sight of me standing before him in nothing more than a white corset and lace panties. His breathing was erratic as he moved behind me and unhooked my corset.

When that reached the floor he took his time worshipping my breasts. I fell back to the bed, my legs no longer able to support me. As his mouth enticed me his hands roamed my body freely. I moaned his name often and freely as his fingers moved my panties slowly down my legs. His fingers found the delicate flesh that he knew so well and within moments I was screaming his name. As I slowly regained my bearings I realized that he was still fully clothed and set to work rectifying that problem.

Standing before him I pushed his jacket to the ground first, quickly followed by his vest. I took my time loosening his tie and pulled it off with a flourish before throwing it to the ground. I unbuttoned his shirt enjoying the sight of his chest pulling deeper breaths in with each button I freed. His shirt joined the growing pile on the ground and I rubbed my face against his bare chest placing light kisses everywhere.

Feeling that his chest had had sufficient attention paid to it I moved to his lower half. At some point he had removed his shoes and socks so all that was left for me to remove was his pants. I attacked them like a child on Christmas morning. We had both been waiting so long for this moment, we knew every inch of each other's bodies but this was new territory for us.

I didn't take my time, I didn't prolong I just removed his belt and unzipped until his pants lay in a pool at his feet quickly followed by his boxers. His erection was prominent and I paid it the proper amount of attention as I moved back up his body after I had removed his boxers. Wrapping my lips around him I engulfed him fully. He threw his head back moaning indecipherable sounds.

He wrapped his hand around my head guiding me up and down and then suddenly pulling me away from him.

"I need you," three simple words that made me tremble.

He lifted me up and carried me across the room to the waiting bed. Laying down he came over me, devouring my mouth as his hand moved back between my legs to ensure that I was as ready as he was. Satisfied when his fingers meet the warm slickness he looked me in the eyes, questioning? I could only nod trying not to tense for the pain that I was sure was coming.

Moving his hand to himself he proceeded to guide himself within me. My entire body tensed at the intrusion. He froze. His eyes wide with worry for me. He started to pull away but I wrapped my arms around him and shook my head. I guided my hips up to his ignoring the pain it caused me, knowing that I had to get this out of the way. He looked deep into my eyes as he began to move again, kissing away the tears that fell from my eyes.

It wasn't long before he could handle no more and his entire body tensed as he released into me. He whispered words of apology as he fell to his side and pulled me to him.

"Please don't apologize, it was fine," I ran my hands across his face trying to erase the worry there.

He drifted off to sleep with his arms wrapped around me. We were both drained from the events of the day. Like our first kiss on this same day so many years ago our first time needed a bit of work but for us it was perfection. I snuggled in closer to my husband and looked forward to a lifetime of learning together.


End file.
